Shawano Leader Sports Headlines

WRESTLING

WHAT: Central Wisconsin Conference Tournament

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School

WHY IT MATTERS: Wrestlers from Bonduel, Menominee Indian and Wittenberg-Birnamwood high schools will fight for conference championships against the best of the Central Wisconsin Conference. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, the No. 2-ranked team in Division 2 and the favorite to win the conference, can cap its dominating performance this season at home.

BOYS SWIMMING

WHAT: Great Northern Conference Meet

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Rhinelander High School

WHY IT MATTERS: The Shawano Community High School Hawks are 9-0 in the Great Northern Conference as they prepare to head to Rhinelander on Friday for the conference meet. Lakeland Union (7-2) is in second place, with both of its losses on the season coming at the hands of Shawano.

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By: 

Leader Staff

The Shawano High School girls basketball team beat Seymour 44-37 in a Bay Conference game Friday in Seymour.

The Hawks (4-10, 4-6 Bay) were led by Lyndsey Kurtz, who had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

“She was monster underneath the boards,” Shawano coach Ryan Koenig said. “She was attacking the basket, getting offensive rebounds, all the defensive rebounds. She played like a senior should. She really stepped up the leadership.”

Kayla Hokenstad and Kia Smurawa each had five points and were key at the free-throw line down the stretch. They combined to make 8 of 10 shots at the line.

Erika Dunnam added seven rebounds. Morgan Klitzke came off the bench to score four points, getting two key baskets before halftime.

Asia Danforth led Seymour (2-9, 2-6 Bay) with 12 points.

The key for Koenig is that his team has been limiting its turnovers.

“Over the last two weeks, we’ve vastly improved the turnover margin,” he said.

Shawano has had fewer than 20 turnovers in each of the last three games and has won two of the three.

“We’re coming together as a team,” Koenig said. “We’re taking care of the ball, we’re taking good shots. Right now, it’s a fun to be part of the girls basketball program.”

Shawano (44)

Monfils 1 0-0 2, Smurawa 1 3-4 5, Megan Klitzke 1 3-5 5, Morgan Klitzke 2 0-0 4, K. Hokenstad 0 5-6 5, Boda 1 1-2 3, S. Hokenstad 0 5-8 5, Kurtz 4 5-6 13, Dunnam 0 2-3 2

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Bears lose to Shiocton boys

The Bonduel High School boys basketball team lost to Shiocton 62-43 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 game Friday in Bonduel.

Connor Rosin scored nine points to lead Bonduel (6-9, 2-6 CWC-8).

Gage Kamp led Shiocton (10-4, 7-1 CWC-8) with 14 points.

Gresham beaten by Almond-Bancroft

The Gresham Community High School boys basketball team lost to Almond-Bancroft 61-43 Friday in Gresham.

Scott Cerveny scored 19 points and had eight rebounds for Gresham (12-3, 9-3 Central Wisconsin Conference-10). Christian Haffner added 17 points and five assists.

Ethan Yonke scored 19 points to lead Almond-Bancroft (12-3, 10-1 CWC-10).

Brisk’s triple-double not enough for Bowler

The Bowler High School girls basketball team lost to Wild Rose 41-33 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-10 game Friday in Bowler.

Ashlynn Brisk led Bowler (7-7, 5-6 CWC-10) with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 10 steals and five assists.

Heather Muntner led Wild Rose (11-2, 9-1 CWC-10) with 12 points.

Tigerton beaten by Port Edwards

The Tigerton High School girls basketball team lost to Port Edwards 46-31 Friday in Port Edwards.

Katie Watters led Tigerton (3-8, 2-7 CWC-10) with 12 points and nine rebounds. Erin Robbins added 10 points. Emily Wendt had six points, five rebounds and five steals.

Shawano wrestlers fall to West De Pere

The Shawano Community High School wrestling team lost to Bay Conference foe West De Pere 42-15 Thursday in Shawano.

Shawano won three matches and received one forfeit. Cody Urban (170) won a 3-1 decision over Mitch Kiernan. Mike Meisner (195) won a sudden victory in triple overtime against Jason Stupka, Jayce Hinkfuss (220) won a 4-2 decision over Nick Metoxen.

Shawano scored on a forfeit at 160, but gave up three forfeits of its own, along with four pins.

Shawano tops Manitowoc

The Shawano Community High School junior varsity hockey team beat Manitowoc 3-2 Friday in Shawano.

Aaron Lammers had a goal and two assists for Shawano. Brendan Cummings had a goal and an assist, and Blake Stoss had a goal.

Brenden Chapman had 16 saves in the Shawano goal.

Other scores

Boys basketball: Wittenberg-Birnamwood 46, Manawa 37.

Girls basketball: Wittenberg-Birnamwood 82, Manawa 14.

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School center Zeke Gueths (54) looks to take a shot under the basket during Friday night’s Bay Conference game against Seymour. Shawano lost, 51-46.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School guard Garret Schlise drives past Seymour defender Dakota Oskey during a Bay Conference game Friday night in Shawano. Shawano lost to the Thunder, 51-46.

The Shawano Community High School boys basketball team gave Seymour another tough game, but couldn’t replicate its Dec. 17 win over the team ranked No. 2 in the state.

The Hawks lost 51-46 Friday after leading most of the first half and battling back from a 10-point deficit in the second half.

“Seymour is such a talented ball club,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “They would be ranked No. 1 if we didn’t beat them earlier this season.”

Shawano (9-6, 7-2 Bay) was led by Zeke Gueths, a 6-foot-6 center, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half. Dillon Frechette added nine points, nailing three 3-pointers.

The Hawks jumped out to a 5-0 lead to the delight of the Shawano fans in the packed gym and at one point led 14-7.

In the second quarter, Seymour (14-1, 10-1 Bay) managed to take a small lead, spurred by a pair of 3-point shots from Brayden Wilinski, but Gueths found an open look under the basket to give the Hawks the 22-20 halftime lead.

Wilinski, a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward, and Dakota Oskey, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, would combine to score 13 of Seymour’s 17 points in the third quarter as the Thunder pulled ahead 37-31.

“Wilinski, he killed us tonight,” Kellett said. “It’s tough to leave some of those guys when they have a Sandy (Cohen) and a Dakota. (Wilinski) made us pay tonight.”

Wilinski led the Thunder with 18 points. Cohen, who is a Marquette University recruit, finished with 13 points. Oskey scored 10.

“We’ve convinced our guys to just play, instead of trying to make plays,” said Seymour coach Jon Murphy, whose team has been at or near the top of the Division 2 rankings all season. “Don’t force anything. Other guys can hurt you. Brayden had a big night. We’ve just become better because we’re more patient instead of Sandy and Dakota forcing everything.”

Shawano’s defense, led by Garret Schlise, held Cohen, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, to just seven points through the first three quarters.

“Garret is a heck of a defender,” Kellett said. “He’s a soccer player who never gets tired. He chased Sandy around all night and Sandy never really looked comfortable.”

Oskey was limited to three first-half points before getting going in the third quarter.

After trailing by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, Shawano battled back to within 47-43 with under a minute to play, buy a Cohen dunk off a turnover put Seymour too far ahead. Cohen would go to the free-throw line after getting the ball back on the next possession and sank both free throws to seal the win.

Even with the loss, Kellett said his team can take solace knowing it can play with a team as strong as Seymour.

“It’s absolutely huge for us,” Kellett said. “There’s not a single person who expected us to be where we’re at. We have a heck of a ball club and we just have to continue to improve.”

Seymour (51)

Oskey 3 2-3 10, Cohen 3 6-12 13, Jefson 2 0-0 4, Powless 2 1-2 6, Wilinski 6 1-2 18

Shawano (46)

Frechette 3 0-0 9, Kneuppel 2 2-4 6, Raddant 1 0-0 3, Sousek 1 3-6 5, Schlise 1 0-0 2, Lacy 2 0-0 6, Gueths 6 2-6 15

Seymour 11 9 17 14 — 51

Shawano 14 8 9 15 — 46

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By: 

Leader Staff

The Bonduel High School girls basketball team lost 37-35 to Shiocton in overtime Thursday on the road.

Bonduel led 16-11 at halftime, and the teams were tied 33-33 after regulation in the Central Wisconsin Conference-8 matchup.

“Not playing for a week, we weren’t ready,” Bonduel coach Missy Dowden said. “To me, we weren’t ready for this game at all.”

Bonduel was outrebounded 25-10 in the second half.

“You have team averages in rebounding. We’re in first place and they’re in second to last,” Dowden said. “We got shoved under the basket and no one was boxing out. Nothing happened correctly in the second half.”

Bonduel was four for 12 (33 percent) from the free-throw line, while Shiocton shot 43 percent from the charity stripe.

“That hurt us in a close game,” Dowden said.

Jennifer Dowden led Bonduel (10-2, 6-2 CWC-8) with 11 points, four steals and six assists. Deanna Zernicke and Taylor Weier each had eight first-half points.

Carmen McCarthy led Shiocton (10-3, 4-2 CWC-8) with eight points.

The loss drops Bonduel a game and a half behind Wittenberg-Birnamwood (11-2, 8-1 CWC-8), which beat Iola-Scandinavia (4-8, 2-5 CWC-8) 63-39 on Thursday.

Bonduel 8 8 8 9 2 — 35

Shiocton 6 5 9 13 4 — 37

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Bonduel High School 126-pound wrestler Travis Wollenberg grapples with Menominee Indian’s Kyle Winker on Thursday in Bonduel. Bonduel won 54-21.

The Bonduel High School wrestling team beat Central Wisconsin Conference foe Menominee Indian 54-21 Thursday in Bonduel.

Senior Kyle Winker provided a highlight for Menominee Indian by tying the school’s career wins record.

Bonduel, ranked No. 7 in Division 3 by Wisconsin Wrestling Online (WWO), started fast but struggled in the heavier weights.

“I figured it would be a tough match to win,” Menominee Indian coach Kirk Bahr said. “Their middle and lighter guys are tough.”

The Bears earned a pair of quick wins over Menominee Indian to take a 12-0 lead. Sophomore Scott Gunderson (106) pinned Vel Hawkins in 1 minute, 23 seconds, and sophomore Garrett Siolka, ranked No. 8 at 120 pounds, took down junior Blake Stoehr in 3:58.

The third match was the night’s most competitive, pitting Winker (126) against junior Travis Wollenberg.

“I thought the 126-pound match was great with Wollenberg and Kyle Winker,” Bahr said. “That was just a tough match. I knew it was going to be. Last year, we beat him pretty good. He’s improved a lot, but Kyle is just solid.”

The two wrestlers fought to a 0-0 draw after the first period and were tied 1-1 to start the third. Winker scored a takedown to get the 3-1 decision.

“That was a very good match. I was looking forward to that all week,” Bonduel coach Chris Rank said. “Winker is very good wrestler for Menominee Indian; we knew that. We know that Travis is a very good wrestler for us. We wanted to see what we could do with (Winker). We’re going to see him at the conference tournament, I’m sure of that, and potentially at sectionals.”

The Bears won the next four matches wrestled by pins. Junior Austin Siokla, a WWO honorable mention at 113, moved up to 132 pounds to pin sophomore Patrick White in 1:15. Senior Gregg Shafer (138) earned a pin of freshman Brandon Miller in 1:41. Junior Sam Kroening (145) pinned senior Deonte Crowe in 47 seconds. Junior Mitch Sokolski (160) took down freshman Kyle Komanekin in 51 seconds. Jacob Wudtke, a honorable mention at 170, then pinned Troy Penass-Kaquatosh in 1:32 in a match of two seniors.

Dan Tauchen, a junior and Bonduel’s highest-ranked wrestler at No. 6, received a forfeit at 152 pounds.

Menominee Indian won three of the final four matches. Senior James Pecore (182) pinned junior Brandon Novitski in 5:20. Senior Keenan Richmond (220) beat senior Eric Godin with a pin 48 seconds into their match, and senior Austin Lyons pinned junior Race McClone in 5:20 in the heavyweight match.

Rank was impressed with Novitski’s match despite the loss.

“Right up until the end, it was a very exciting match for us,” Rank said. “I was very happy with the way Brandon wrestled.”

Bonduel sophomore Bennett Gunderson (195) pinned freshman Alenex Warrington in the second-to-last match of the night.

Menominee Indian’s youth was a disadvantage against the experienced Bears.

“I had four freshman in the lineup tonight,” Bahr said. “They went hard.”

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Chargers complete sweep in conference duals

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School wrestling team completed a sweep in Central Wisconsin Conference dual meets with a 60-9 win over Shiocton on Thursday in Wittenberg.

“Going undefeated in conference duals going into the conference tournament is a great feeling, and it gives us the edge,” Wittenberg-Birnamwood coach Troy Ostrowski said. “Now we can concentrate on how we do individually.”

The Chargers will host the conference tournament Feb. 8.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood earned five pins Thursday. Gavin Czerwonka (126) pinned Trevor Young in 2:32. Bobby Uttecht (132) pinned Chandler Van Straten in 1:25. Brenden Randall (145) pinned Mitchell Nockers in 1:26. Stetson Potrykus (106) pinned Brian Dawes in 1:34. Zach Urquhart (113) pinned Raymond Herb in 1:18.

Witt-Birn’s Alex Peplinski (170) won a 7-3 decision over Mason Gomm, and August Peplinski (220) beat Dominic Gunderson 1-0.

The Chargers also won four matches by forfeit.

Eagles boys beat Rosholt

The Menominee Indian High School boys basketball team beat Rosholt 55-41 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-10 game Thursday in Rosholt.

Alphonso Smith led Menominee Indian (7-7, 5-6 CWC-10) with 14 points.

Jared Richter had 10 points to lead Rosholt (1-12, 1-9 CWC-10).

Truckers top Omro boys

The Clintonville High School boys basketball team earned a 42-28 win over Omro in a nonconference game Thursday in Clintonville.

Andy Schmidt led Clintonville (7-7, 4-6 Eastern Valley) with 18 points. Tyler Petermann added 11.

Sam Berger had 10 points to lead Omro (7-7, 5-4 Flyaway).

Chargers girls dominate Iola-Scandinavia

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls basketball team beat Iola-Scandinavia 63-39 to get a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 win Thursday in Iola.

Mikayla Hartman scored 18 points to lead the Chargers (11-2, 7-1 CWC-8). Micah Nier added 16, and Taylor Bushman had 11.

Brooke Phillips led Iola-Scandinavia (4-8, 2-5 CWC-8) with 14 points.

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

The WIAA Board of Control granted final approval Wednesday of a realignment plan that affects 76 area schools and overhauls the Bay and Eastern Valley conferences for the 2015 season.

The new-look Bay Conference will include current Bay schools Shawano, New London, Seymour and West De Pere and add Appleton Xavier from the Eastern Valley, Menasha from the Fox Valley Association, and Green Bay East and Green Bay West from the Fox River Classic Conference. Waupaca will join the Bay for football, but will remain in the Eastern Valley for the rest of its sports.

The new Eastern Valley will include current teams Clintonville, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute and Waupaca, with the addition of Denmark, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette and Oconto Falls from the Bay and Wrightstown from the Olympian Conference.

Shawano Community High School’s coaches have been keeping a close eye on the issue and are ready for the changes ahead.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re going to lose our longtime rivalries with Oconto Falls, Luxemburg-Casco, Denmark and Marinette,” softball coach Kevin Isaacson said, “but, from a travel perspective, this probably makes more long-term sense for the school districts involved.”

“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” football coach Al Tomow said. “It’s out of our control, but we look forward to playing a couple of schools we haven’t seen and hopefully developing a little bit of a rivalry with some of the new teams.”

Tomow is familiar with Green Bay West from scrimmages over the last few seasons.

“Our goals will stay the same,” Tomow said. “We’re still going to try to get into the playoffs and go one game at a time from there.”

“(Menasha and Xavier) are both tremendous programs,” basketball coach Chris Kellett said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us. It’s two quality teams coming in. I don’t know a whole lot about Green Bay East and West. They’re usually pretty athletic, which is a little bit different than what we’re used to.”

Last April, when the plan was first introduced, former SCHS athletic director Tim Mayer praised one aspect of the realignment.

“For us, this isn’t that bad of a move because our travel isn’t going up that much,” Mayer said. “If you look at the replacements, all the other teams are shorter (trips).”

Clintonville athletic director Scott Werfal said he’s disappointed to see some of the schools leave the Eastern Valley, but he’s happy with the new conference.

“I think the conference will be strong, just like it is now,” Werfal said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity. Our big thing is that we’re looking to improve our programs regardless of where we’re at.”

Some schools, such as Xavier, objected to the realignment plan, but the board had to approve or reject the whole plan at Wednesday’s meeting. It passed by a 10-1 vote.

“Rivalries are being torn apart a little bit,” Kellett said. “I can definitely see where Xavier is coming from, but I think the WIAA is doing their best to make the conferences make sense.”

The Central Wisconsin Conference was not a part of the realignment.

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WRESTLING

WHAT: Bonduel vs. Menominee Indian meet

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Bonduel High School

WHY IT MATTERS: Both Bonduel and Menominee Indian high school wrestling teams are behind Wittenberg-Birnamwood in the Central Wisconsin Conference chase, but both have solid squads. As both face off on Thursday, Menominee Indian’s Kyle Winker (126 pounds) can tie a Menominee Indian record for wins at 104 if he gets a win in his match.

BOYS BASKETBALL

WHAT: Shawano vs. Seymour

WHEN: 7:15 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Shawano Community High School

WHY IT MATTERS: Despite handing Seymour (13-1, 9-1 Bay), ranked No. 2 in the state in Division 2, its only loss this season, the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team (9-5, 7-1 Bay) remains a game back in the Bay Conference. While the Hawks will be looking to prove the win was no fluke, the Thunder will be looking for revenge. Seymour’s top players are Marquette University recruit Sandy Cohen and St. Norbert College recruit Dakota Oskey.

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Clintonville beats Winneconne

The Clintonville High School boys basketball team beat Winneconne 48-36 in a Eastern Valley Conference game Saturday in Winneconne.

Andy Schmidt scored 21 points to lead the way for Clintonville (6-7, 4-6 Eastern Valley).

Matthew Vanden Boogart scored 16 for Winneconne (4-10, 3-6 Eastern Valley).

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

The Bonduel High School wrestling team was 5-0 Saturday at the Central Wisconsin Conference duals in Manawa.

Also not losing a match, Wittenberg-Birnamwood dominated the other half of the conference in Wittenberg.

Bonduel beat Marathon 64-9, Manawa 54-15, Shiocton 57-16, Weyauwega-Fremont 56-10 and Tri-County 78-0.

Bonduel, ranked No. 7 in Division 3 by Wisconsin Wrestling Online, had five undefeated wrestlers: Garret Siolka (113 pounds), Austin Siolka (120), Travis Wollenberg (126), Sam Kroening (145) and Dan Tauchen (152).

Scott Gunderson (106), Brandon Novitski (182), Mitch Sokolski (160), Jacob Wudtke (170), Bennett Gunderson (195) and Eric Godin (220) finished with 4-1 records.

“Eleven of the guys were undefeated or 4-1,” Bonduel coach Chris Rank said. “That’s pretty nice.”

The Bears close the regular season with a match against Menominee Indian on Thursday and then compete Feb. 8 in the CWC tourney in Wittenberg.

“We’re at that time in the season when we’re talking about wanting to be peaking, conference time,” Rank said. “We want to be wrestling our best. The way we have our schedule structured, the last couple weeks of the season works out in our favor.”

Menominee Indian went 4-1 in Wittenberg. The Eagles beat Rosholt 45-25, Almond-Bancroft/Pacelli 54-16, Amherst 57-15 and Freedom 46-30, and lost to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 76-0.

Kyle Winker (126), Blake Stoehr (120) and Patrick White (132) led the Eagles, each with 4-1 records. Winker became the second Menominee Indian wrestler in the school’s history to reach 100 career wins. With 102 wins, he is just two away from setting the school record.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood was even more impressive than Bonduel, recording three shutouts and giving up only 12 points Saturday.

“It was a pretty good day for us,” Wittenberg-Birnamwood coach Troy Ostrowski said. “When you don’t give up a match wrestled all day, it’s a great feeling. Now we have to get ready for Shiocton on Thursday and the CWC tournament.”

Besides sweeping Menominee Indian, the Chargers also swept Amherst and Freedom 76-0. Witt-Birn beat Rosholt 76-6 and Almond-Bancroft/Pacelli 78-6.

The Chargers, ranked No. 2 in Division 2, had 10 5-0 wrestlers: Stetson Potrykus (106), Zach Urquhart (113), Ben Vosters (120), Gavin Czerwonka (126), Brenden Randall (145), Kyle Premeau (152), Griffin Magee (160), Alex Peplinski (170), August Peplinski (195) and D.J. Ostrowski (220).

Jesse Sprague (132), Alex Schultz (138), Hunter Kreger (182) and John White Wing (285) all went 4-0. Devin Paszek (120) went 2-0.

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Local hunters will have more input, but some will miss registration stationsBy: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Terry Hilgenberg, vice chair of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, says changes to Wisconsin deer hunting rules unanimously approved Wednesday will streamline the process and increase the input of local hunters in the state’s deer management.

The rules package implements many of the recommendations of Texas researcher James Kroll, who was hired by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration in 2011 to review the Department of Natural Resources’ deer policies.

“This was an extensive process with a great deal of public input that started with the presentations by Dr. Kroll,” Hilgenberg said. “I myself have gone up to the one in Rhinelander. He held various input sessions around the state and he took that information and made some recommendations to the DNR.”

One of the biggest changes is the elimination of deer registration stations by 2015. Hunters instead will register their deer online and over the phone.

Hilgenberg said Wisconsin is one of only two other states in the Midwest that doesn’t provide for online and telephone registration of deer.

“The manual method of doing it has been around for a long, long time,” Hilgenberg said. “There was a very small, vocal minority that were adverse to that change, which was self-interest, and we can appreciate that. … Generally speaking, it makes it much more easier for hunters to achieve that objective. Also, it will streamline the process substantially for the department to get the statistical analysis together based on the results of the hunt.”

Bob Schowalter, sporting goods manager at Qualheim’s in Shawano, which has hosted a registration station the last eight years and was one of nine registration stations in Shawano County this year, said hunting season will be a different experience.

“It’s going to be something that’s going to be missed — people coming in and seeing what they’re getting,” he said.

Schowalter said he’s interested in seeing how the process will be regulated, but can see benefits in the changes.

“It’s going to make things a lot easier on everybody’s end, too,” Schowalter said. “They started it with the turkey registration. Overall, as long as they find a way to regulate it, it’s going to work out on both ends, for the hunter and for us as far as the time it took to do it.”

Todd Casper, a hunter from Gresham and member of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, also had concerns.

“It would be a way to start saving the DNR some money, but when you’re just calling it in, I think there could be a lot of violating going on and people could abuse the system,” Casper said. “Also, with the check stations, if you weren’t technologically advanced, it was nice to stop at a check station and see other people’s deer. It makes it a little bit more of a solo sport.”

Anne Boucher, owner of the Gresham Town Mart, another registration station in the county, said she’ll be sad to see the check stations go.

“It was always exciting to see the different sizes of bucks,” Boucher said. “It’ll be kind of sad, actually.”

Another major change is a complete overhaul of the state’s deer management units, consolidating the 134 units down to 72, based on existing county boundaries.

“With that, putting in place county committees to help the DNR analyze, with boots on the ground, what the status of the herd is from year to year,” Hilgenberg said. “We’re really looking forward to that local input.”

The DNR has not yet established how the local committees will be formed, but Hilgenberg said hunters will have more of a voice in the management of the deer herd in the county.

Hilgenberg said he’s excited to see the implementation of the plan and the results going forward.

“It’s an evolving process,” Hilgenberg said. “The idea here is to see how all this works and if we need to tweak it, that’s what we’ll do. We think it’s going to be a big improvement and we think it will give a lot more input to local hunters.”

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School guard Zack Sousek shoots during a Bay Conference game against Hortonville on Friday in Shawano. Shawano lost, 59-50.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School forward Jack Lacy takes a shot over Hortonville’s Trenton Knuppel during a Bay Conference game Friday in Shawano. Shawano lost, 59-50.

The Shawano Community High School boys basketball took its first Bay Conference loss of the season, losing to Hortonville 59-50 Friday night in a packed SCHS field house.

The Hawks, coming off a big win over West De Pere on Thursday night, struggled to corral Hortonville sophomore Kyle Witthuhn, who scored nine points in the first quarter on his way to a game-high 25 points.

“Our kids played hard throughout,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “Kyle Witthuhn just was the best player on the floor tonight. He hit some tough shots and that got them going. He was super aggressive and we just couldn’t match him.”

Shawano (9-5, 7-1 Bay) fell behind 18-13 in the first quarter, but took a 19-18 lead in the second quarter when Jack Lacy, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, hit a 3-pointer with 6:26 left in the half.

Outside shots kept the Hawks in the game. Shawano hit on eight of them, including three from Lacy and three from Dillon Frechette.

“They switch screens constantly,” Kellett said. “So, you’re inclined to get a lot of outside jumpers with them because they’re stuck down in the paint. We hit some early on and then slowly started to fade away. That wasn’t necessarily our game plan, it kind of came to us.”

In the second half, Hortonville (6-6, 6-2 Bay) maintained a steady lead, at one point extending it to nine points, but Shawano hung around.

Zack Sousek, a 5-foot-10 junior, hit a 3 with 6:48 in the fourth quarter to pull the Hawks to within 46-43, but Shawano’s rally stalled down the stretch.

“I thought they played hard tonight, shots just didn’t fall,” Kellett said. “Everything goes a lot better when shots fall for you. It’s not that we didn’t play well, it’s just that Hortonville played better.”

Lacy and Sousek led Shawano with 15 points each. Lacy also had six rebounds. Sousek had seven assists, two rebounds and two steals.

The loss dropped the Hawks a half-game behind Seymour (11-1, 8-1 Bay), which blew out Marinette 79-19, in the Bay Conference standings.

Hortonville (59)

Lasinski 1 2-3 4, Lillge 4 0-0 10, Frederick 1 0-1 2, Killoren 1 1-2 3, Sommers 2 0-0 4, Witthuhn 9 7-9 25, Thompson 3 3-4 11

Shawano (50)

D. Frechette 3 0-3 9, Sousek 5 5-6 15, Bartz 2 0-0 6, Lacy 6 0-0 15, Quinn 2 1-2 5

Hortonville 18 14 14 13 — 59

Shawano 13 14 14 9 — 50

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By: 

Leader Staff

The Gresham Community High School boys basketball team beat Central Wisconsin Conference-10 foe Wild Rose 67-64 in overtime Friday night in Gresham.

The Wildcats (11-2, 9-2 CWC-10) fell behind early and needed to outscore Wild Rose 21-15 in the final period to force overtime. Gresham held an 11-7 edge in the extra stanza.

“I thought we came out kind of flat,” Gresham coach Jeff Zobeck said. “We didn’t have a lot of energy.”

Killian Eggert, who has missed the last three games with a injured ankle, helped spark Gresham when he returned in the second half.

“Our confidence kind of jumped back up and we dug in, got it to overtime,” Zobeck said.

Scott Cerveny led Gresham with 18 points. Christian Haffner added 14 and Neil Cerveny had 13. Eggert finished with eight points.

Aaron VandeCastle led Wild Rose (7-6, 6-3 CWC-10) with 22 points.

“He’s a big guy,” Zobeck said. “He gave us problems the first time, too. We don’t have anyone with significant size. He’s a wide-bodied strong kid and he gives us fits down there.”

Wild Rose (64)

Ortega 7, J. Erickson 19, Thompson 10, VandeCastle 22, Tietz 6

Gresham (67)

N. Cerveny 13, Haffner 14, Eggert 8, S. Cerveny 18, Fischer 9, Kazik 4, Pleshek 1

Wild Rose 16 13 13 15 7 — 64

Gresham 9 14 13 21 11 — 67

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Hawks beaten by Hortonville

The Shawano Community High School girls basketball team lost 53-42 to Hortonville in a Bay Conference clash Friday in Hortonville.

Courtney Vomastic led Shawano (3-10, 3-6 Bay) with 10 points.

Sarah Huebner led Hortonville (10-3, 7-1 Bay) with 15 points.

Bears lose to Iola-Scandinavia

The Bonduel High Schools boys basketball team lost 62-50 to Iola-Scandinavia in Central Wisconsin Conference-8 game Friday in Iola.

Zach Zernicke scored 16 points to lead Bonduel (6-8, 2-5 CWC-8).

Braiden Garbe had 20 points to lead Iola-Scandinavia (11-2, 5-2 CWC-8).

Eagles beat Tigerton

Ron Frechette scored 21 points in a 54-37 Menominee Indian victory over Tigerton on Friday night in Tigerton.

With the win, Menominee Indian improves to 4-7 overall, 4-6 in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10.

Woodrow Wilson led Tigerton (3-9, 3-6 CWC-10) with 17 points.

In junior varsity action, Menominee Indian beat Tigerton 45-35.

Chargers lose to Pacelli

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School boys basketball team lost to Stevens Point Pacelli 65-45 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 matchup in Stevens Point.

Tyler Milanowski led Witt-Birn (5-9, 1-6 CWC-8) with 16 points. Nick Kapitz added 11.

Brett O’Sullivan led Pacelli (11-2, 5-2 CWC-8) with 20 points.

Tigerton girls defeat Eagles

The Menominee Indian High School girls basketball team lost to Tigerton 38-35 in a CWC-10 game Thursday in Keshena.

Erin Robbins scored 13 points to lead Tigerton (4-6, 3-5 CWC-10)

Ania Smith led Menominee Indian (4-7, 3-5 CWC-10) with 10 points.

Bowler tops Almond-Bancroft

The Bowler High School girls basketball team beat Almond-Bancroft 45-34 in a CWC-10 game Friday in Almond.

Ashlynn Brisk led Bowler (5-6, 3-5 CWC-10) with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and three assists. Taylor Matsche had nine points and six rebounds.

Kathryn Schmidt led Almond-Bancroft (3-9, 1-8 CWC-10) with 10 points.

Shawano beats Neenah in hockey

The Shawano Community High School junior varsity hockey team beat Neenah 6-2 Friday night at the Crawford Center in Shawano.

Brendan Cummings had five goals. Aaron Lammers had a goal and an assist. Blake Stoss, Chancellor VanDyck, Triston Krueger and Sam Boivin each had an assist.

Brendan Chapman had 21 saves tending Shawano’s goal.

Other scores

Boys basketball: Bowler lost to Almond-Bancroft 48-18; Marion beat Rosholt 68-58.

Girls basketball: Gresham lost to Wild Rose 64-16.

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Shawano alone atop Bay ConferenceBy: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School guard Zack Sousek celebrates after the Hawks beat the visiting West De Pere Phantoms in a Bay Conference game Thursday. The Hawks won, 52-46, getting 16 points from Sousek, who cut his head in the final minutes of the game.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School guard Dillon Frechette tries to take a shot over West De Pere defender Connor Konshak during a Bay Conference game Thursday in Shawano. Shawano beat the Phantoms 52-46.

Zack Sousek scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Shawano Community High School boys basketball team rallied to beat West De Pere 52-46 Thursday to remain undefeated atop the Bay Conference.

The Hawks (9-4, 7-0 Bay) outscored West De Pere (9-3, 5-2 Bay) 22-11 in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 12 points earlier in the game and 10 at halftime.

“There’s not enough praise to go around,” Shawano coach Chris Kellett said. “Defensively, I thought everyone that went in played exceptionally well.”

Shawano played determined basketball in the second half, including a gutty performance by Sousek, a 5-foot-10 junior guard who suffered a deep cut on his head late in the game.

Sousek led Shawano with 16 points and had four steals, including a steal and basket with 4:07 remaining that tied the game at 39.

After West De Pere’s Jesse Owens made a pair of free throws, Zeke Gueths scored on an offensive rebound to tie the game at 41-41.

With 2:30 left, Sousek drove to the basket to give Shawano a lead and then scored again off a steal at midcourt to give the Hawks a 45-41 advantage.

West De Pere, which entered the game ranked No. 7 in the state in Division 2 by The Associated Press, battled back and took a 46-45 lead with 1:40 left to play,

Dillon Frechette, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, hit a 3-point shot to put the Hawks up 48-46.

West De Pere fouled Sousek, who suffered a cut on his head. Shawano coaches scrambled to bandage Sousek, who returned to the game and made one of his free throw attempts.

“He was fantastic tonight,” Kellett said. “Him staying in the game at that moment, I don’t know how many players with a cut that deep would have stayed. He put the Rambo stuff on his head and it fired up our guys. He led us to victory; he’s our heart and soul.”

In the final minute, Sousek went back to the line, making one of two shots. Garrett Schlise’s two free throws put the game out of reach.

West De Pere guard Connor Konshak scored 14 points in the first half, but the Hawks shut down the 6-2 junior guard in the second half, allowing him only a single basket in the third quarter.

“It was pretty easy looking at the book at halftime,” Kellett said. “Connor Konshak had 14 at the half and that was mostly our fault for leaving the triangle and stepping out too far. Once we corrected that, they really struggled moving the basketball. Our guys made some stops and made some buckets. We got the momentum and kept it going.”

Chandler Diekvoss joined Konshak in double figures with 10 points.

“Kyle Quinn did a great job on Chandler Diekvoss,” Kellett said. “Jack Lacy did a phenomenal job on Cody (Schwartz),” who finished with seven points and only one field goal.

The win gives the Hawks sole possession of first place in the Bay Conference with a one-game lead over Seymour, which Shawano defeated earlier this season.

West De Pere (46)

Owens 1 2-2 6, Fink 1 0-0 2, Konshak 8 0-0 16, Diekvoss 3 3-4 10, Schwartz 1 5-6 7, Bostedt 1 0-0 3, Pannier 1 0-0 2

Shawano (52)

Sousek 6 3-8 16, Schlise 0 2-2 2, Lacy 3 0-0 7, Kyle Quinn 3 0-0 6, Gueths 2 3-4 7, Hintz 0 1-2 1, D. Frechette 3 2-2 10, Mueller 1 0-0 3

West De Pere 15 17 3 11 — 46

Shawano 10 12 8 22 — 52

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By: 

Leader Staff

Jennifer Dowden scored a career-best 32 points to lead the Bonduel High School girls basketball team to a 60-53 win over Iola-Scandinavia in a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 game Thursday in Iola.

The Bears took a 14-point lead in the third quarter, outscoring Iola-Scandinavia 24-11 in the period.

“Iola-Scandinavia came out gunning for us,” Bonduel coach Missy Dowden said. “We were down by 1 in the first quarter. … Halftime settled the girls down. We got everyone together on the same page offensively and defensively.”

Jennifer Dowden, a 6-foot junior forward, finished with nine rebounds and five assists.

“She had 28 one time her freshman year, but this was a nice night for Jen,” said Missy Dowden, who is Jennifer’s mother. “She did a nice job. She hit a couple 3s, she went inside. A couple of her points were putbacks off rebounds.”

Taylor Weier and Deanna Zernicke each had 10 points for Bonduel (10-1, 6-1 CWC-8). Weier added eight rebounds, and Alexa Reinke had five points and five assists.

Kylie Johnson and Brooke Phillips led Iola-Scandinavia (4-7, 2-4 CWC-8) with 11 points each.

Bonduel (60)

Dowden 32, Reinke 5, Weier 10, Zernicke 10, Sorenson 3

Iola-Scandinavia (53)

Gauerke 3, Johnson 11, Phillips 11, Oligney 6, Sether 7, Fischer 6, Welch 4, Bonikowske 5

Bonduel 14 13 24 9 — 60

Iola-Scandinavia 15 11 11 16 — 53

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Shawano girls beat West De Pere

The Shawano Community High School girls basketball team beat West De Pere 41-27 in a Bay Conference game Thursday in De Pere.

Megan Klitzke had a game-high 16 points to lead Shawano (3-9, 3-5 Bay). Lyndsey Kurtz added nine points.

Hannah Stefaniak led West De Pere (5-7, 3-4 Bay) with 13 points.

Hawks swimmers swamp Antigo by 80

The Shawano Community High School boys swim team beat Antigo 121-41 Thursday in Shawano.

Taking firsts for Shawano were Zack Soper (200 individual medley, 2:08.06; 100 butterfly, 56.31), Jake Klister (50 freestyle, 24.70; 100 backstroke, 1:14.18), Griffin Rades (500 freestyle, 5:38.13) and Christian Kane (100 breaststroke, 1:11.95).

Shawano also took firsts in the 200 medley relay (Craig Kraning, Cayman Kunschke, Alex Retzlaff, Kyle Easter), 200 freestyle relay (Klister, Easter, Kane, Soper) and 400 freestyle relay (Klister, Nathan Kane, Rades, Soper).

3 Chargers hit double figures in win

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls basketball team beat Stevens Point Pacelli 66-23 in a CWC-8 game Thursday in Wittenberg.

Siri Zeinert led the Chargers (10-2, 6-1 CWC-8) with 14 points. Kaitlin Mahan added 13 and Mikayla Hartman had 11.

Sami Kay Shafranski led Pacelli (1-11, 1-5 CWC-8) with 10.

Clintonville holds Berlin to 12 points

The Clintonville High School boys basketball team beat Berlin 33-12 in a Eastern Valley Conference game Thursday in Berlin.

Andy Schmidt led the Truckers (5-7, 3-6 Eastern Valley) with 13 points.

Noah Pomplun and Lucas Gravunder led Berlin (1-13, 0-10 Eastern Valley) with six points each.

Hawks top Waupaca in JV hockey

The Shawano Community High School junior varsity hockey team beat Waupaca 5-1 Tuesday in Waupaca.

Brendan Cummings had three goals for Shawano. Blake Stoss added a goal and two assists. Triston Krueger also had a goal.

Goalie Brendan Chapman had 19 saves for the Hawks.

Other scores:

Girls basketball: Marion beat Rosholt 50-19.

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By: 

Gerrard Diaz, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School forward Micah Nier tries for a shot past Bonduel’s Jennifer Dowden during a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 game Tuesday in Bonduel. Bonduel won 31-29.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Bonduel High School guard Deanna Zernicke takes a shot from outside the 3-point arc Tuesday during a game against Wittenberg-Birnamwood in Bonduel. Bonduel beat the Chargers, 31-29.

In a game dominated by defense, the Bonduel High School girls basketball team beat Wittenberg-Birnamwood 31-29 Tuesday to create a logjam atop the Central Wisconsin Conference-8 standings.

“We knew it was going to be close; we knew it was going to be intense,” Bonduel coach Missy Dowden said. “We started out so nervous, and then we chipped away at them, one point at a time. The girls did a nice job.”

The Chargers, who were previously unbeaten in conference play, took a 10-5 lead in the first quarter, but Bonduel, sparked by a pair of 3-point shots from 5-foot-6 junior guard Deanna Zernicke, got the game to 20-19 by halftime.

In the second half, both defenses clamped down. The two teams combined for just five points in the fourth quarter, the most important coming with 50 seconds left in the game.

With Bonduel trailing 29-28, a foul sent Jennifer Dowden, Bonduel’s leading scorer, to the free-throw line. The 6-foot junior sank both shots in a whisper quiet gym to give Bonduel the lead.

“When it comes down to business, I think she really concentrates on her free throws,” said Missy Dowden, who is Jennifer’s mother. “A couple of weeks ago, she missed a couple in a game, so she’s been working on it. She knew, they all knew it was going to come down to free throws.”

After a pair of missed shots, the Chargers fouled Alexa Reinke, sending her to the line with 12.9 seconds on the clock. Reinke made one of her two attempts, to put the Bears up by a basket.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s Mikayla Hartman, who with Taylor Bushman led the Chargers with seven points apiece, missed a free throw and a 3-point shot in the final seconds of the game.

“We put ourselves in position to win one here,” Wittenberg-Birnamwood coach Mike Balliett said. “They made more plays in the last couple of minutes than we did.”

Jennifer Dowden finished with a game-high 11 points and had eight of Bonduel’s 21 rebounds; Wittenberg-Birnamwood had 13 rebounds. Zernicke added nine points on three 3-pointers for Bonduel. Reinke had three points and six assists. Taylor Weier scored six points.

The Bears’ whisker-close win means Bonduel (9-1, 5-1 CWC-8), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (9-2, 5-1 CWC-8) and Amherst (8-2, 4-1 CWC-8) are bunched at the top of the conference with the second half of the season about to begin.

Amherst, which beat Bonduel 47-40 Dec. 13 and lost to Witt-Birn 58-55 on Friday, will host Bonduel on Tuesday.

Since they played both Amherst and Bonduel on the road in the first half of the season, the Chargers will host both in the second half of the season.

“It’s nice for me to know that we have the top three teams in the conference at home in the second half,” Balliett said. “If we can hold our court and do the things we need to do, we’ll be there. We’ll see.”

In junior varsity action, Bonduel beat Wittenberg-Birnamwood 39-29.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood (29)

T. Bushman 3 0-0 7, M. Hartman 3 0-2 7, Zeinert 1 0-0 2, Alwes 0 2-2 2, M. Nier 2 2-2 6, Mahan 1 0-0 2, White Eagle 1 0-0 3

Bonduel (31)

Dowden 4 3-3 11, Reinke 1 1-2 3, Weier 2 2-3 6, Zernicke 3 0-0 9, Pues 1 0-0 2

Wittenberg-Birnamwood 10 10 7 2 — 29

Bonduel 5 14 9 3 — 31

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The Shawano Community High School boys basketball team lost a nonconference game against Appleton North 51-44 Tuesday in Appleton.

The Hawks outscored North 19-13 in the final period, but the rally fell short.

Jack Lacy led Shawano (8-4, 7-0 Bay) with 10 points. Zack Sousek and Dylan Frechette each had seven points. Sousek also had six assists.

Austin Nelson and Mike Lukashewich each had 13 points to lead Appleton North (6-7, 4-6 Fox Valley Association).

The Hawks will try to defend their perfect Bay Conference record in a big game at home against West De Pere (9-2, 5-1 Bay) Thursday.

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